Watch "The Other Iraq" on The Daily Show - CLICK HERE
Posted on 08/08/2006 1:00:13 PM PDT by Impeach98
Those familiar with Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" - featuring comedian Jon Stewart - will no doubt be familiar with the show's bias against Operation Iraqi Freedom and the efforts of the Bush Administration to combat Islamic terrorism in the Middle East.
But even Stewart and company couldn't deny the progress being made in northern Iraq. The 3 Iraqi provinces that make up Iraqi Kurdistan have built a peaceful democracy modeled after Western nations. Not one single Coalition soldier has been killed in Iraqi Kurdistan. No westerners have been kidnapped. And just this past week, Iraqi Kurdistan's regional government passed a new investment law designed to encourage investment by Americans in the region - as they seek to embrace free markets and economic growth. It's all part of Iraqi Kurdistan's effort to reach out to Americans and other westerners as part of their "The Other Iraq" campaign.
So what does someone like Stewart do when confronted with such progress - well, there isn't much else to do but poke fun at the success being made by the Iraqi Kurds. Stewart's schtick is funny, and his humor will bring a smile to your face. But the even bigger smile should come from the recognition that at least part of Iraq is moving forward with the potential for a very bright and promising future. Watch the 1 minute and 35 second clip here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rScxLuHOeio
"Honey, grab the kids and pack up the Passat, we're going to Kurdistan!"
It was funny.
Well thank God for that. Now I can rest easy.
Stewart is no longer a comedian...rather a propagandist for this countries leftists, and the factless rhetoric driven arse clowns that hate Bush simply "cuz"...once he started doing activists lectures broadcasted on C-SPAN, Stewart began his campaign to embolden this nations enemies...and cease being a the host of a "comedy show" simply for entertainment.
Diplomacy and serious, factual, debate falls on deaf ears with this idiot (Stewart)...he simply needs to be marginalized out of existence and/or...given a sign that reads Kim Il-Jung is a maniacal evil tyrant and dropped off (and everything else he's implied about bush but in this case directed towards the NoKo leader) in the middle of Pongyongyang for all of us to watch what happens to the fool...
The guys a factless jerk, that uses the guise of a comedy show to push his agenda and misinform anyone he can lure into watching...same is true for the Colbert report.
Even Stewart and the Daily Show producers couldn't deny the truth of the message of progress in that part of Iraq. And that's a nice hopeful example for us to use in trying to save 'the rest' of Iraq from violence.
Hey now, many of us in the 24-35 year old demographic rely on The Daily Show to give us our news. I mean, I don't know if it's biased (how could I? I only listen to Stern for 20 or so minutes a day on the way to work, so I have little to compare it to.)
Oh sure, it might not be as in depth as the Wall Street Times or whatever that paper is, but it's funny! And there's lots of pictures! And at the end of the day, my vote counts just as much as yours...
Are the Kurds the remnant of the Mongol invasions? They look somewhat asian as compared to the Arabs. I could kind of see how they got a bad rep in Babyloniaville.
It seems to me that only place there is a problem in Iraq is the city of Bagdad. Lets just level it and have "do over".
Haha! You sound like a guy in our office who says that all the time. He served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
As to the point of this post - again... if even Stewart, et. al can see progress in part of Iraq then we're making progress in moving the ball forward and getting people in this nation off of their "oooh let's hope this all blows up in George Bush's face so we can win political campaigns" mentality.
Talk about needing
a sarcasm tag! I bogged
down at that first line!
I'm in that demo too, and have friends who religiously watch "The Dingle Show," but honestly, I just don't think John Stewart is funny. He always seems like he's trying too hard. Although, I haven't bothered watching in years. Maybe he's gotten better.
Heck, Stewart even put 3 clips of the Kurds' TV ads in the clip. And since one of them at www.TheOtherIraq.com is "Thank You America" well then you can't complain about publicity like that.
Personally, I think Jim Dingle is a much better host than Stewart.
That's my demographic too! Maybe that explains a difference in how FReepers see certain things. Some of us view it through the prism of our jaded generation(s) with the rampant cynicism, lack of patriotism from the 'leading figures' in Hollywood, the media, etc...
OK, well you me and Owl Eagle need to start the 'Freepers Under 40' network then!
Bad move, Jon Stewart.
How dare you suggest that anything positive can happen in Iraq??!!?? You must be a Bush-lover!!!
Expect the DUmmies and MoveOnslaught.com to begin a boycott of your show.
In all seriousness, though, I know a lot of folks who get all their news from that show. Of course their knowledge of any subject is paper thin, but they all have something else in common:
The day before elections, they always contact me and ask- "Where do I vote? Am I registered? What do I need to bring? How do I do it? What if..." and the day after, when I ask if they made it- "You know, I had this thing after work and I just couldn't make it..."
That audience is by and large a paper tiger.
Yep, that description fits my DS/JS friends to a T.
I am glad the Kurds are getting the positive publicity, but Stewart always makes my blood boil.
IMHO-Stewart would argue that the Kurds flurished b/c of Clinton enforcing the no fly zone, which Bush 41 established, and would give little credit to the current/ and past Bush Administration....
He'd biforcate the two...b/c all things bad are Bush's fault...and anything good that happens has nothing to do with anything Bush does...such is the mantra of the Left. "Intellectual" dishonesty.
I am always wary of anyone that has anything good to say/post/imply/etc. about Stewart...he's a big part of the "ignorance" problem the left has.
Thought it was quite funny. While he may poke fun at the Kurds its clear he has no real argument against them. Fact is, Kurdistan is peaceful and ready for investment.
They have origin in Central Asia area where the Indo-Europeans originated. Arabs have origin in Eastern Africa where the Afro-Asiatics originated.
Quick! Move the goalposts of success again!
Then it's as I suspected. They are the remnant of the Mongol invasions. The Mongols were the ones that sacked Baghdad, killed everyone and ruined the mesopotamia canals and terrace farms. That would make them persona non grata to Arabs in a very big way. We are too stupid about some stuff.
oops I missed your post. You are for sure on this point. Savage was intimating they might be ancestors of the Mongols.
Regardless of whether he is mocking or not, he is still spreading the message that Kurdistan is a peaceful region. He did not try to deny that.
Mark Russell is funny, John Stewart is not funny.
For me Stewart is either hot or cold. Sometimes I find him funny, sometimes I think he is so blinded by his political hatred for certain conservatives that he can't be a true comedian but instead sees himself as a political opponent to that which he finds unacceptable.
I can't accept that as fact. It is possible, but it can't be determined by the contents of the show. His job is to make fun of the media and those in power, and guess who's most in power?
The same accusations were made against Trey Parker and Matt Stone (South Park) with their show "That's My Bush!" People were up in arms over these "liberals" satirizing Bush, claiming they had an agenda against him. Then we found out the show was in planning before the 2000 elections with the working title "Family First," and they were going to make fun of whoever won it. The show would have been called "Absolute Al" if Gore had won.
bttt
We freepers have known for a long time that the Kurds are doing well. Here are some old FR threads
"The Other Iraq" -- Kurdistan Kurdistan Regional Government webpages ^ | November 12, 2005
The Kurdistan Region in Iraq is a good news story that seldom gets told. , Kurdistan ^ | October 2005 | Kurdistan
Iraqi Kurds thank the United States for liberation in New T.V ads (From MoveAmericaForward) 11/10/2005
KURDS SAY THANK YOU--AWESOME AD ON FOXNEWS!!!!, 11/09/2005
Hell Is Over: Voices of the Kurds after Saddam by Mike Tucker
It's a comedy show. They do parodies. They make fun of things.
The fact that this is the best he can do to make fun of these people's message is the whole point.
Sometimes I think we conservatives aren't so good with humor... relax, this is a GOOD thing. At the end of the day people in their heart really don't want peace-seeking people who embrace democracy and free markets to suffer. That's what these people are trying to do in this one area in the H*llhole region that is the Mideast.
I remember "That's my Bush"...it was crude...but the humor was all over the place...and it was a pre-9/11 world.
Stewart, is repugnant...he's not makeing fun of anything...he's basically making off the cuff policy judgements, which are factless, and trying to influence thought through agenda driven rhetoric...under the guise of comedy.
If he were fair, and across the board with "comedic" criticism, I'd give him the benefit of the doubt...but he's not...even if, as you suggest, the stated point of the show was to make fun of the administration in power...he goes over and above this, and it was seem there are many posting on this thread that would agree.
U also have to take Stewart's measure when he speaks outside of the show's forum...and he's so "hate" Bush, and factless, it vomitus.
The Turks would be closer to the Mongol invasion than the Kurds. Turks and Mongols share the same origin and culture and language. Kurds have been in longer in the Middle East than both Arabs and Turks.
I came away with the sense that the ridicule was on the idea of Kurdistan being a popular tourist destination for Americans.
Those most parodied will be those most in power. I wouldn't expect it to be level across the board. I also had the idea of a serious slant, but their coverage of the Democratic primary changed my opinion, they slammed it far worse than the Republican primary.
Judgement will come when a Dim is in office (please, no!) and Stewart goes easy on him.
My sentiments exactly.
I do remember an article after the 2004 election that highlighted how upset stewart was at an election party because it was looking like bush was going to win. it went even further by quoting steven colbert saying that even though bush gave him and the rest of the daily show a huge comedic source, he would cheerfully be dull if bush were not re-elected. that article killed stewart in my eyes because it exposed his bias against conservatives.
Could this be partly because we protected them since 1991 with a no fly zone? could this sow that it takes a while to get it right, and just maybe we don't need to pull out and leave them to fend for themselves in the rest of Iraq?
Yes, the No Fly Zone certainly is the reason for the current success in Kurdistan.
EXCELLENT! They must have muzzled the Kurdish Lou Dobbs, whoever that may be. Would that we could do the same with the actual Lou Dobbs.
I think some of you are missing the point! The point is John Stewart had no choice but report it with sarcasm and a smug face. As much as would have loved to tear the Kurds apart and make it seem as though the ads are untrue, he couldn’t. All evidence points to a peaceful and stable Kurdistan! John Stewart, the poster child for twisting any good news from Iraq can’t twist them all. If anything he is only helping to spread the word about Kurdistan, an area of Iraq which is largely ignored, and far too many people know nothing about.
Yep. Stewart practices the crude art of "smugging". Smug + Mugging.
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